SIMPLE FORECAST: It is the Dog Days of summer, and the weather this week, through the weekend, and into next week just will not change much. An upper-ridge will be intensifying across the Deep South this week, meaning hotter temperatures and lower rain chances.
The days will feature more sun than clouds with highs in the mid-90s today, followed by upper 90s after today and right on into next week. Average high this time of year for Birmingham is 91°, which means temperatures will be above average. Rain chances are very low, but not zero, and for now, at no time the next 7-10 days are rain chances higher than 20% on any given day.
Humidity levels will begin to inch upward by the weekend, and that will cause our heat index values to be in the 100°-105° range by this weekend. We could see some heat advisories issued across portions of Alabama this weekend and into next week. Stay cool, and in case you were wondering, fall officially begins in the 60 days, on September 23.
AIR QUALITY ALERT: The smoke from the Canadian Wildfires is back in the Alabama air this week and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Alert for Jefferson and Shelby Counties for today. Under Code Orange conditions, ground level ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups. Children and people with asthma are individuals most at risk under these expected conditions. This will likely get extended for several more days this week.
ACROSS THE USA: Above average temperatures and dangerous heat indices will continue across the Southwest, through portions of the Plains and over South Florida. Isolated to widely scattered severe thunderstorms may produce damaging gusts and hail from Nebraska into the Dakotas and across portions of the Mid-Atlantic.
IN THE TROPICS: Invest 95-L near the Windward Islands is tropical wave located near the Windward Islands is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms while moving quickly westward. Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur during the next day or two before it moves into a region of unfavorable upper-level winds. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains and strong gusty winds are expected across portions of the Lesser Antilles during the next day or so. Formation chance through 7 days…low…10 percent.
Also, a weak trough of low pressure is located a few hundred miles south-southwest of Bermuda. Some gradual development of this system is possible while it moves west-northwestward towards the southeastern U.S. coast later this week and into the weekend. Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent.
BEACH FORECAST CENTER: Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Fort Morgan to Panama City on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region that you are interested in visiting.
WORLD TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation outside the U.S. was 121.3F at Basrah-Hussen, Iraq. The lowest observation was -115.2F Concordia, Antarctica.
CONTIGUOUS TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation was 122F at Death Valley, CA. The lowest observation was 39F at Walden, CO.
